‘Merchant of Death,’ the Putin-loyalist US freed in 2022, is now selling arms to Houthis: Report

Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer infamous as the ‘Merchant of Death’, has resumed operations two years after his release, according to a report.

The United States released Bout in 2022 to secure the freedom of basketball player Brittney Griner, who had been arrested by Russia earlier that year on charges of drug smuggling. He was arrested in 2008 and was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 25 years in jail.

Now, two years after his release, Bout is negotiated the sale of Russian weapons to Yemen-based Houthis, according to Wall Street Journal.

The Houthis are part of the Iran-backed network of armed groups in the Middle East, known as the ‘Axis of Resistance’, which is opposed to Israel and the United States. They have terrorised the Red Sea since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War and have disrupted the global trade. Russia, an ally of Iran, is known to have previously supplied weapons to Houthis and other groups in the region like Hezbollah.

Bout has previously sold weapons to parties in Africa, South America, and the Middle East.

What we know of Viktor Bout’s dealings with Houthis

Bout is negotiating a deal for the sale of Russian small arms to Houthis to the tune of $10 million, according to WSJ.

In August, Houthi officials went to Russia to discuss the sale of small arms and engaged with Bout, as per the newspaper.

Separately, Reuters has previously reported that Iran has been facilitating the sale of advanced Russian missiles to Houthis.

The small arms that Bout is dealing with comprise AK-74s, an upgraded version of AK-47 rifles, could be delivered as early as in October under the cover of food supplies where Russia is known to have previously delivered grains, according to the newspaper.

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Even though Bout’s deal comprises small arms, the discussions in Moscow also touched upon the potential sale of Kornet anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft weapons, said European official and other people familiar with the matter to the newspaper.

Previously, Bout has sold weapons in lieu of diamonds to former Liberian President and war criminal Charles Taylor. He has also been on the radar of the United Nations (UN) for violating international arms embargoes on Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).